On September 29, 2026, a school van accident in Murree left 12 people injured, including 10 school children and two adults, after the Suzuki Bolan vehicle veered off the road near the Bara Hotar Link Road and caught fire. According to incident reports from local authorities and hospitals, the victims suffered varying degrees of burn injuries, with multiple children rushed to specialized medical facilities in Murree and Rawalpindi.
Emergency Response and Hospital Admissions
Murree police and rescue teams arrived at the scene following the incident, rescuing the children and rushing them to the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital. An incident report issued by the THQ Hospital recorded 12 individuals brought in for treatment, noting that 10 victims sustained burns of varying degrees. Three children suffered severe burn injuries, with individual reports documenting burns spanning 42 per cent, 38 per cent, and 26 per cent of their respective bodies. Rescue 1122 initially stated that passengers were safely evacuated with minor injuries before the vehicle became completely engulfed in flames.
Four of the injured children were subsequently referred from Civil Hospital Murree to Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi for advanced care. According to hospital sources, two of these children were listed in critical condition as doctors battled to save their lives, with two siblings among the burn victims. Specific figures from the Holy Family Hospital admissions detail that Ayesha, 14, sustained burns over 45 per cent of her body, while her 11-year-old brother Abdullah suffered burns over 5 per cent. Eight-year-old Arham sustained burns over 60 per cent of his body, and eight-year-old Hassan suffered burns over 28 per cent of his body.
Official Inquiries and Safety Concerns
Murree District Police Officer Raza Tanveer Sipra visited the injured children in the hospital. “We are maintaining constant contact to ensure the provision of the best possible medical care to the injured children and treatment for those who have been referred,” DPO Sipra stated. Rawalpindi Commissioner Salman Ghani and Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Nasir also visited the victims at Holy Family Hospital, directing authorities to guarantee comprehensive medical attention.
Murree police stated that the exact cause of the accident has not yet been ascertained and that necessary legal action will follow. Meanwhile, state broadcaster PTV reported that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took notice of the incident and sought an official report, specifically highlighting vehicle overloading and a lack of adequate fire safety measures.
Context of Recent School Transport Accidents
This incident follows a series of similar transport accidents involving school children across Pakistan earlier in the year. In Karachi, eight students were injured when a school van caught fire while moving along the Shah Faisal Colony flyover, and a separate fire in a family van resulted in the deaths of two teenage sisters. In Okara in February, a schoolgirl was killed and six others were injured after a dumper hit their van, while a separate accident in Charsadda left two students dead and 22 injured.
Injuries and hospital treatment after the Murree school van accident
How many people were injured in the Murree school van incident?
A total of 12 individuals were injured, comprising 10 school-going children aged five to 14 and two adults.
Where were the severely injured children treated?
Seven children were initially managed at Civil Hospital Murree, while four children were transferred to Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi for specialized burn care.
What official notice was taken regarding the cause of the accident?
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz sought a report on the incident, taking formal notice of vehicle overloading and a lack of adequate fire safety measures.
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